In addition to contemplating actual shortcomings of the past, we should also meditate upon the fact that even a perfect Divine service of the past can be brought to an even greater level of perfection. With just brief contemplation, everyone is able to realize how he or she could have done even better.
Opportunity to climb higher The message we are emphasizing (that it is possible to correct even an extremely low spiritual standing) comes in addition to the self-understood message of Pesach Sheni that is contained in the relevant Torah portion: In the Torah’s description of the origins of Pesach Sheni, the men who were ritually-impure through having come in contact with a corpse and were therefore unable to make the Pesach sacrifice on the correct date, were not on a low spiritual level, G-d forbid … as stated in the Talmud (Sukah 25a.). … In other words, the cause of their state of ritual impurity was not due to a deficiency in their spiritual standing. Quite the opposite! It was due to their involvement in fulfilling G-d's will [by performing the highly exalted Mitzvah of "Meis Mitzvah," attending to the burial needs in a case where no-one else can. Clearly, rather than just making up for past deficiencies, Pesach Sheni is also (or even, primarily) about catching up on opportunities to reach ever greater heights]. (Ibid., p. 147)
Pesach Sheni influences Pesach Rishon [Originally, Pesach Sheni was introduced in order to make up for that which was missing on Pesach, i.e., offering and partaking of the Pesach sacrifice. Nevertheless,] even when our divine service on Pesach was accomplished in its fullest measure … the Yom Tov of Pesach Sheni [still] comes as an addition … For it is on Pesach Sheni that our spiritual service regarding the themes of Pesach are accomplished on a far higher level. This is reflected in the name “Pesach Sheni:” The term "Pesach" means "to jump over"; Pesach Sheni is therefore a dilug sheni, a second leap - one that takes us far higher than our first "leap," which occurred on Pesach. For during Pesach we merely "leaped" to a station that was far beyond our prior spiritual standing, i.e., we attained what could at that point be termed a state of perfection. However, contrasted with our future spiritual standing, i.e., when we compare the elevated state we reached on Pesach with the additional elevation of Pesach Sheni (the "second leap") - why, our Pesach position is still left lacking! [And we are not talking about a slight lack; rather,] it is a lack which prompts the agitated complaint and demand, “lamah nigara,” "Why should we lose out…?!"
